Concentration of minerals from ores by the use of sulphones as flotation reagents



Patented, May 17, 1927.

UNITED STATES I v 1,629,080 PATENT OFFICE.

- FREDERICK .LAIST AND FREDERICK F. FRICK, b]? ANACONDA, MONTANA.

concnnrna'rron or mmnnans rnom onns BY THE USE or SULPHONES AS FLOTATION nnaennrs. 1

- No Drawing. 1

Application filed Apri1 13, 1926. Serial No. 101,793.

This invention relates to the concentration others, a pound per ton of ore may be reof minerals from ores by flotation.

The object of this invention is the provision of new and useful flotation reagents 5 and processes of floating ores by :their means.

We have discovered that the sulphones, in general, are eflectivefiotation reagents. The

'sulphones are organic sulphur compounds of the general type represented by the formula stand for hydrocarbon radicals, such as the alkyl, aryl and aralkyl groups, as well as derivatives and homologues of the same. Typical sulphones, which are suitable for the urposes of this invention, are diphenyl sulp one, (G H SO and butyl sulphone,

(C 11,) 80 We 'may also use mixed sulphones such as alkyl-aryl, alkyl-aralkyl and aryl-aralkyl sulphones.

In using the compounds of this invention as flotation reagents, they may be added to the ore to be floated in any suitable manner or place and at any stageprior to flotation or during flotation. They may be added to the grinding mill, to the pulp just before flotation or during flotation. These reagents may be used alone or combined with other reagents fgenerally used in the flotation art, such as, or example, f othing reagents and a ents for stabilizlng the froth. They may a o be used in combination with other flotation reagents. I v

In. eneral, pine ,oil is used to advanta e as a other. Other oils, such as tar oi s, may be used to stabilize the frothand aid in the recovery of the minerals.

These reagents may be used with orcs generally; they may be found to work better with some ores in an acid circuit; with others in a neutral circuit, and in the case of still others in, a circuit made alkaline with sod ash or burned lime.

Commercial or impure forms or solutions of these reagents may be used. They may be used in varying quantities. A quarter or even a tenth of-a pound per tonof ore may prove effective in the case. of some ores. In

quired. Y

The flotation pulp-,containing a sulphone, is subjected to agltation and aeration in standard flotation machines. The following table is given, by way of illustration, to show the results when using normal butyl sulphone. It is to be understod. that our invention is not limited to this specific re-' agent nor to the specific manner of its application recited in this example.

N-butyl sulphone on copper ore.

Two tests are given, the first a test using sulphuric acid and pine oil, and the second,

sulphuric acid, pine oil and n-butyl sulphone. The test conditions were identical except for the use of n-butyl sulphone in the second test. v

The pine oil was used as a frothing reagent.

The effectiveness of this reagent is fully shown by the above table. The percentage of copper recovered was 92.9%.

We claim:

1. A process of concentrating ores by froth flotation, which comprises subjecting to a flotation operation a mixture of the ore containing a sulphone in a quantity effective for flotation. V

2. A process of concentrating ores by .froth flotation, which comprises subjecting to a flotation operation a mixture of the ore containing an organic sulphur compound of the general type v in which R and R stand for hydrocarbon sulphone to the ground ore in a quantity eflective for flotation and subjecting the mixture to a flotation operation.

4. A process of concentrating ores by froth flotation, which comprises adding to the ground ore'an organic sulphur compound of the general type,

the ground ore an organic sulphur compound of the general type R LA RI SO9 in which R and B may be alkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups, and in which 0 stands for oxygen, in a quantity effective for flotation and subjecting the mixture to a flotation operation. i

6. The process of concentrating ores by froth flotation, which comprises adding to the ground ore an organic sulphur compound of the general type in which both R and R stand for alkyl groups and 0 stands for oxygen, in a quantity effective for flotation and subjecting the mixture to a flotation operation.

7. A process of concentrating ores by flotation, which comprises adding n-butyl sulphone to the ground ore andsubjecting the mixture to a froth flotation operation.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signat-ures.

FREDERICK LAIST. FREDERICK F. ERICK. 

